[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[James]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I'm pretty certain there will not be a secret element now. Given that team members on this site have dropped the hint several times there is no element (and I would fully well trust their posts) I would be inclined to believe that there is not one now. Whether there was a secret element originally planned or not remains to be seen. However I believe we're simply getting a good, solid, thrilling roller coaster. This thing won't need a gimmick thrown on the end of it.

TowersTimes covering up the photos, well, I would believe that they are simply covering up nothing interesting in order to generate some kind of hype. OR they are simply covering up a number of additional inversions, which would make sense of Alton Towers to ask these elements to be hidden if the ride is indeed aiming for the world record of inversions.

Edit: Looking over the quote by TowersTimes makes things pretty clear:

We have spoken to Alton Towers Resort and we have agreed to obscure parts of the ride as requested by the resorts marketing department.

Quote taken from their latest aerial update.

Given that quote, the removal of the 'washing machine' element from TowersTimes SW7 website (you guys have left the news article up still!) and hints from TS team members I think that's enough to sway me towards the 'there is no element' group.

 

[Nick]

[SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Well, although the upside launch would be a world's first, we all know they copied it from BigAl.

 

[BigT]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Secret element or not there is going to be something unique about this ride or it wouldn't be labeled as world beating would it.

 

[CupCakeMonster]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Can I also point out that no agreement actually needed to be reached, as TT were not actually doing anything illegal or against their own rights. Plus, if other parks were that worried, bothered or eager to know what the element was, they could easily get their own helicopter or plane to check it out. Therefore, I still think the box is just to cause discussion and speculation.

I'm on my new fangled telecommunications device! So if I spell anything wrong, I do apologise.

 

[Nemesismad]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

 

[Quetzal]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I'm pretty confident that all Towers Times have covered up is an inversion (or maybe two). There's a nice straight section before the lift, so they could fit some Colossus style twists in there, and claim the inversion record.

 

[Tim]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Well, although the upside launch would be a world's first, we all know they copied it from BigAl.

I'm afraid they might have had the idea first. But credit to BigAl were it's due as I used his model to work out if it would still be possible for something like that to work

 

[BigT]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster unless there is something I'm missing.
Yes it would still be amazing (hopefully) but not world beating.

 

[BigAl]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I think I made my NL ride last year, so I'm guessing that Alton Towers probably came up with something first!

Anyway, an upside down launch could be risky. A forceful or quick launch, or spending too long upside down could be quite uncomfortable for riders.

 

[Ian]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster

Which would be a worlds first, topped only by 7(?) other coasters world wide. Could be an easy way to a worlds first record...

Edit
Actually, provided they could open it before any other coasters being built next year, this would only be beaten by 2 other coasters in terms of inversions for a short period; Colosus and it's clone in China.

 

[BigT]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster

Which would be a worlds first, topped only by 7(?) other coasters world wide. Could be an easy way to a worlds first record...

But not world beating which is what Alton have marketed this ride as.

 

[Rupert]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster

Which would be a worlds first, topped only by 7(?) other coasters world wide. Could be an easy way to a worlds first record...

But not world beating which is what Alton have marketed this ride as.

As said before, world-beating can mean absolutely anything. It could be Alton's opinion that this is better than any other coaster in the world, thus being 'world-beating'. They stopped using the term 'world's-first' in marketing back in September or October - so presumably this is not a world's first so it doesn't have to have a secret element or record number of inversions or any other equally unnecessary attribute.

Last time we took Alton's marketing literally and extrapolated unfounded theories from it, we were disappointed we didn't get the 'Ultimate Roller Coaster'. I really don't think we should go down that route again.

 

[Ian]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster

Which would be a worlds first, topped only by 7(?) other coasters world wide. Could be an easy way to a worlds first record...

But not world beating which is what Alton have marketed this ride as.

Depends how Alton are planning in using the world beating claims. It's very vaguely worded. If it could open only topped by two rides then it would beat every coaster in the world bar 2. That's arguably a way you could say it's world beating based on majority. I think that when the ride opens we'll probably see "world beating" being replaced with "worlds first" personally. The whole mixing up of the phrases has been done to keep that element of mystery about it

Either that or we're seeing a different layout at the top of the site, which contains more inversions, which I still think is very likely.

 

[Trixico]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster

Which would be a worlds first, topped only by 7(?) other coasters world wide. Could be an easy way to a worlds first record...

But not world beating which is what Alton have marketed this ride as.

As said before, world-beating can mean absolutely anything. It could be Alton's opinion that this is better than any other coaster in the world, thus being 'world-beating'. They stopped using the term 'world's-first' in marketing back in September or October - so presumably this is not a world's first so it doesn't have to have a secret element or record number of inversions or any other equally unnecessary attribute.

Last time we took Alton's marketing literally and extrapolated unfounded theories from it, we were disappointed we didn't get the 'Ultimate Roller Coaster'. I really don't think we should go down that route again.

I'd like to think that they learned from their mistakes on that one. The marketing of Thirteen was terrible, which is one (of many) reason they might be playing it close to their chests here.

 

[tleady]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Without trawling through the 2 topics, I'm sure someone worked out the theoretical throughput, but just to speculate on what I think/ what I have worked out:

According to Nemesis94's NL recreation, the longest time between blocks is 31 seconds.

Dispatching a train of 16 people every 31 seconds would mean a theoretical throughput of 1856pph

Pretty darn special! Obviously we will get nothing near that, but with good training I think 1500 is achievable.

(3600 seconds in 1hour, divided by 31seconds = 116 trains an hour = 1856PPH incase anyone was wondering)

It is possible, oblivions is 1900pph and have the same number of people in cars...

 

[Wilsy]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

The throughput that Oblivion gets is massively out of date, I believe there have been changes to the ride's computer system over the years that has slowed some parts of the ride down.

Getting ~1800pph is very difficult, as issues will always occur during the hour. I think closer to 1200-1400 should be expected.

 

[Rupert]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Behind the "Blue box" is just an inversion heading up from the underground section, before it'll level out into lift 1.

A photo TT took a few days ago before the main update showed clearly that the track dropped down into the pit and began to bank left at about a 90º angle, suggesting highly that it's an inversion.

Well we know that can't possibly be the case or all we would have is a 9 inverstion coaster

Which would be a worlds first, topped only by 7(?) other coasters world wide. Could be an easy way to a worlds first record...

But not world beating which is what Alton have marketed this ride as.

As said before, world-beating can mean absolutely anything. It could be Alton's opinion that this is better than any other coaster in the world, thus being 'world-beating'. They stopped using the term 'world's-first' in marketing back in September or October - so presumably this is not a world's first so it doesn't have to have a secret element or record number of inversions or any other equally unnecessary attribute.

Last time we took Alton's marketing literally and extrapolated unfounded theories from it, we were disappointed we didn't get the 'Ultimate Roller Coaster'. I really don't think we should go down that route again.

I'd like to think that they learned from their mistakes on that one. The marketing of Thirteen was terrible, which is one (of many) reason they might be playing it close to their chests here.

Oh absolutely - I think that's why there was such a noticeable difference when they stopped using the phrase 'world's first' in marketing, and started using the much more vague and mildly less epic 'world-beating'; and I've rather enjoyed the marketing so far. My point when I mentioned Thirteen was more regarding the 'mistakes' we (broadly used for the community) made in either believing every phrase they threw at us, or just making things up we had no evidence for.

What we know:

- the coaster will be 'world-beating' but is unlikely to be a world's first (as they've removed all mention of that that from marketing)

- there has been no mention of breaking any records at all

Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that if it was record-breaking, they would have said so by now - but based on the above I reckon it will just be a standard coaster.

 

[Johno]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I'd suggest World Beating means that it's going to have the most inversions or be the most intense ride in the world.

I'd therefore suggest inversion record is highly likely, unless there is something really interesting under that box / still to be put up.

The biggest thrill on this ride will easily be the near misses and sheer beauty of the track, the knot is particularly impressive.

 

[DoubleOh7]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

If it is a twist leading up from the underground section that has been censored then it will tie in quite nicely with the original DNA strand images we saw on the very first releases about this ride.

I still cant see how the ride is a 'worlds first' or 'world beating' though??? So far though compared to the past couple of rides Towers have built it is all still very secretive and feels like the marketing stratergies have changed immensly. Heres hoping they are hiding a good secret!!

 

[cotda]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I've worked it out! The trains will be fitted with the worlds most painful back prodders! It will be both World Beating, and passenger Beating!